


Daisy

by haljordae



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Friendship, High School, KaiSoo - Freeform, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 23:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11367738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haljordae/pseuds/haljordae
Summary: Kyungsoo doesn’t mind the gap and Jongin doesn’t find the silence disturbing. Really, why would those matter when they find solace in the presence of each other?





	Daisy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first time writing Kaisoo fanfic so please expect the crappiness. And please don't misunderstand me especially once you've finished reading the first chapter: **I _LOVE_ Sehun** (he even holds that special place in my heart).  
>  Forever beta-ed and edited; apologies for mistakes and errors.

 

 _ **Earlier in the morning, just**_ like any other day, Kim Jongin thought that it would always end the same way: he either would or wouldn’t end up getting caught by the bully – the first was most likely to happen since Oh Sehun somewhat always found a way to spot him. Somehow, Jongin often wondered if the other boy planted a tracker in him or used hidden cameras to monitor his movement; a stupid thought he quickly brushed off because the reason was probably as simple as one block of distance between their homes. And the fact that they went to the same school and were in the same year didn’t help at all.

But that particular summer afternoon, something proved him wrong. As always, it came in the most unexpected way, yet it didn’t mean that Jongin didn’t feel grateful for it. He was simply… surprised… even when he was, unsurprisingly, cornered in the restroom of the Chinese restaurant he worked at. It was because of the voice – the one that transformed Sehun’s smirk into a questioning look, crumpling his forehead – came from no other than Do Kyungsoo.

“Move aside, Sehun,” was the thing Kyungsoo said once the door panel swung open and he walked out of one of the toilet stalls. His gaze didn’t break, nor did it waver; the glare was sent to Sehun and Sehun only.

Then it just happened; it was as unanticipated as Kyungsoo’s voice. During the tensed silence – Jongin unconsciously held his breath as his instinct noticed the atmosphere – the big, dark eyes that belonged to Kyungsoo met Jongin’s. The boy felt his mouth opened, as if there was something he’d like to say to his savior, but there was nothing besides an empty air that brushed his parted lips. From behind the curtain of fringes scattered all over his forehead, his eyes studied Kyungsoo’s bland expression quickly; soon, they spotted a subtle twitch at the corner of the pursed lips.

The silence was broken by Sehun, hissing Kyungsoo’s name with his attention fully drawn to the intruder. It was followed by Jongin’s sigh of relief once the other’s hand released the front of his t-shirt and, especially, as he no longer felt the touch of another human being on him – the crinkled fabric made him frown, though.

Kyungsoo, shorter than the other two, quietly approached them. “Really, _Oh Sehun_ ,” there was a small smirk on his face, yet Jongin didn’t find any sign of amusement inside the doe eyes, “should I repeat myself? Move aside. I need to wash my hands.”

 _Eighteen_ , Jongin counted in his head. _Eighteen_. He shook his head lightly, trying to get a better view of the scene before him without having to raise his head.

The furrow distorting Sehun’s face got deeper as the bully looked down, meeting Kyungsoo’s expressionless stare. His thin lips parted, but all he could manage to utter was a quiet ‘you.’ Just one second later, he shot a sharp gaze at Jongin before recklessly dashing towards the door, bumping on Kyungsoo in between. Jongin, his eyes quickly found his feet after the deadly stare, could hear a mutter of ‘fuck you’ slipping out of Sehun’s mouth, a moment before the restroom door slammed shut with a loud thud.

It was nothing but the sound of running water filling in the silence that followed afterwards. Jongin peered and found Kyungsoo’s figure, still a few steps away from him, stand still. Curiosity was swelling inside his chest and his eyes quietly followed the movement of the smaller boy.

Do Kyungsoo, on the other hand, acted as if there was nothing wrong at all, as if there was no other boy also in the room, pinned to the corner with a pair of orbs that didn’t stop staring at him. He was completely aware of the look, even though Kim Jongin hid his eyes really well, just like he had been doing all this time, behind the dark-colored strands covering part of his face. _Or maybe it’s because he lowers his head too often_ , Kyungsoo wondered while drying his hands with a sheet of paper towel.

Why he decided to stop Sehun from teasing Jongin, Kyungsoo really had no special reason. While it was true that he had gotten used to the sight of Oh Sehun having some fun while torturing Kim Jongin, it felt somehow different that particular summer afternoon to hear all those words and mocking tone Sehun used to play his own game with his own ears. Everything that followed somewhat happened in a whim. Those words came out seemingly naturally from his mouth, and knowing that he couldn’t take back what had been said, the boy only continued what he had started – he didn’t really need to wash his hands at all, to be completely honest, since he went into the restroom only to take a short break amidst a noisy lunch time with his cousins.

However, he could sense a strange feeling flickering inside him the moment his ears caught Jongin’s quiet sigh of relief once Sehun let him go. The thought of it drawn Kyungsoo’s eyes towards the reflection of Kim Jongin in the mirror, meeting the other pair that were still partly covered by the fringes. It was a fleeting moment that passed with none of them uttering any single word, although the curiosity was still plain to see from the taller boy’s face.

It was Kyungsoo who broke the stare first, silently walking to the trash bin next to Jongin, still standing with his back leaned against the white tiled walls. He tossed the damp, crumpled paper towel into the bin and heard a nearly inaudible muttering.

To him – because, who else? – Jongin whispered, “ _Thank… you_.”

And it was only a small nod Kyungsoo gave the other boy in return – he, just like everyone else, knew better that talking really wasn’t his thing – as he opened the door. Before the other silhouette disappeared from his vision, Do Kyungsoo was suddenly reminded that he had never seen Kim Jongin as close as this.

 

*

 

The familiar voice disrupted Jongin’s attention from his watermelon. His eyes spotted a familiar silhouette of his friend, growing big and bigger in every leap the long legs made. The figure flailed his also long arms enthusiastically, automatically tugging the invisible string attached to the corners of Jongin’s lips upwards to imagine the quiet protests the pedestrians around Park Chanyeol mumbled.

His grin widened once Chanyeol slowed his pace, an innocent, child-like smile carved on his face. Jongin raised his body off the bench and took one last bite before the remaining of the watermelon was forgotten inside the plastic container near him. “You’re late, Chanyeol!”

The complaint was only replied with the same smile by Chanyeol, although he did say, “Sorry!” His long legs halted when they were only one step away. “I overslept. Last night—”

“You were playing another game and didn’t sleep at all until this afternoon,” Jongin cut. “Or you probably slept from yesterday evening after nights of playing games before. I know, man. I know…”

A familiar childish grin was another reply Jongin received. “Popcorn’s on me, okay?”

“Absolutely.” Jongin walked; the cinema was only two blocks away from the restaurant and he had finished his shift an hour earlier.

“Then we have a deal, Sir!” Chanyeol landed a playful slap on Jongin’s back, making the boy wince.

It took them no longer than 15 minutes to finally reach their destination. Jongin stood in queue while Chanyeol was talking to another boy from a different school he often saw whenever his friend went to perform – Chanyeol had been playing guitar since he was little. The concrete-like flooring looked gleaming as the golden lights from ceiling lamps showered the surface. There was only a boy standing in front of him, probably still undecided what snack to buy, and Jongin quickly noticed the painting of white flower on the boy’s left shoe.

Tilting his head slightly to the side, he couldn’t help but wonder. _He must be good at drawing_. Squinting his eyes, he tried to get a better look at the most-likely-true hand-painted canvas shoe. _But… why flower?_ It wasn’t like he’d judge the boy, though; Jongin felt like there should be any reason why he chose it, among all the other possible things the boy could paint on it.

“A hotdog and… mineral water.”

Jongin blinked, immediately raising his head.

“I’ll pay with cash. Thanks.”

 _Should I?_ Biting his lower lip, Jongin wondered if greeting Kyungsoo would be a good thing to do – they were classmates, even. _But… we’re not even friends?_ And he, just like the rests of the school, knew better that Chanyeol was the only friend he had. “Kyu—”

A soft poke on Jongin’s bare elbow made the boy flinch. “Jongin! Sorry, I didn’t mean to… wait, you still haven’t got the popcorn? Seriously, what’s taking him so… long…”

The doe eyes voicelessly cut Chanyeol’s protest; Kyungsoo was holding his snack in his hands, his face flashed a familiar bland expression. To Chanyeol, the boy only gave him a blank stare for a few seconds. And once his orbs met Jongin’s, the smaller boy nodded. “Hey. Jongin.” But before the said boy could return the greeting, Do Kyungsoo had turned on his heel and walked away.

As Chanyeol quickly placed his order – two buckets of popcorn and two large cups of cola – Jongin’s stare was fixated at the same spot where Kyungsoo’s small figure disappeared. His brain still processed the two words spoken to him before; ‘hey’ and ‘Jongin’. The greeting was curt and somewhat oddly spoken. It wasn’t expressed in the same way as if it was, “Hey, Jongin,” – there was no brief break in between.

“Oy, dude?” Chanyeol’s voice dragged Jongin’s wandering mind back to its place. “Go take yours.”  

Jongin shrugged, grabbing the bucket with his left hand and the drink with his right one. But before his cola left the counter, he could feel another hand on his. Quickly, he pulled his hand away; his gaze met the confused look drawn on the employee’s face. “Sorry,” he muttered, returning his gaze to everything lower than his own eye height.

“It’s okay,” Jongin caught a glimpse of the employee’s lips, arched to form a smile. “I only wanted to replace your drink because the size was wrong.”

 

*

 

It was a good thing that Chanyeol didn’t snore when he slept because his friend had slept through the movie – Jongin even needed some extra effort to make sure that the other boy could at least open his eyes before the credit ended. Strangely enough, though it was the kind of ‘strange’ Kim Jongin had gotten so used to, Park Chanyeol didn’t stop talking once they were outside, enjoying the weather of humid summer night during their walk to the bus stop. Jongin, on the other hand, mostly listened to his best friend’s chatter.

Jongin saw the bright yellow canvas shoes some passer-by wore. “Hey, Chanyeol.”

“What?”

“How many days are left until school starts?”

Chanyeol scrunched his nose; he was talking about a gaming buddy he had and his best friend’s question definitely was out of topic. “Uhh…” his fingers tousled his own rich brown locks carelessly, trying hardly to recall what day it was. “Two weeks… I think?” Stealing a glance, he wondered what Jongin’s answer might be, yet the other boy only nodded lightly – the fringes covering his forehead fluttered. The sight someway triggered a memory from a few hours earlier, evoking something that had made him left pretty surprised. “Jongin?”

“Hmm?

As expected; Jongin barely raised his head and the voice was the only sign to tell him that his best friend paid any attention. “Did something happen between you and… Kyungsoo?”

A bus passed and Jongin saw the strangers who had taken their seat inside, their tired faces were full with the hopeful thought of enjoying warm dinner or a warm shower after a long, demanding day. There was no need to look straight at Park Chanyeol’s face to see the anticipation since the way his friend shifted his stance too often already told Jongin everything. Another bus arrived and as Jongin patiently waited until an elderly woman got off the bus, his vision spotted the silhouette of his bully walking alone across the street. Instinctively, his muscles tensed although he knew that Sehun wouldn’t lay a finger on him whenever Jongin wasn’t alone – whenever he wasn’t seen outside with Chanyeol, in short.

Both Chanyeol and Jongin got on the car and sat quietly side by side. Sehun had found him too and his sharp gaze pierced through the back of Jongin’s skull… or that was only his imagination. He shifted his position, trying to get as comfortable as possible until his friend stood up and moved to the empty chair in front of him. Chanyeol’s eyes, however, still gave him a questioning look, clearly demanding an answer to his question earlier.

Jongin leaned his back against the barely-cushioned back, looking back at the other boy’s round orbs between the dark-colored strands. “Nothing.” The dark circles around Chanyeol’s eyes looked worse than when Jongin met the guy three days before. “There’s nothing.”

 

* * *

 

 

 


End file.
